A Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana resident pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit theft of public money, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

According to the plea agreement, Jackie Chaney, aka Jackie Scott, 46, admitted to conspiring with others to prepare false tax returns using stolen identities. Chaney admitted that she and her co-conspirators obtained the names and social security numbers of individuals which were used to prepare and file false tax returns. At least one of Chaney’s co-conspirators electronically filed the false tax returns and Chaney and others received the fraudulently obtained refunds in the form of checks or prepaid debit cards. Chaney also admitted that she and her co-conspirators further conspired to convert fraudulently obtained tax refund checks into cash.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 29, 2017 before U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan. Chaney faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Polite commended special agents of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden Brockett and Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.

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A Hattiesburg man reported missing after visiting New Orleans for Mardi Gras has been found safe. New Orleans police said Johnny Gatlin, 57, came into NOPD Police station with his missing flyer in hand and in good health. His family picked him up in New Orleans. Copyright WDAM 2018. All rights reserved. More >>